Craobh an Tillidh
I was in Sutherland recently. I was
in Bun Ilidh. That’s the Gaelic for
Helmsdale. I heard about a tree in
the area. The name it has, or had, is
The Làmh Tree. You’ll know the
Gaelic word làmh. The Làmh Tree –
Craobh na Làimhe. It’s interesting
that it’s The Làmh Tree that people
say in English, rather than The
Hand Tree.
The tree was growing south of
Helmsdale. It was next to a burn
near [West] Garty Lodge. There was
a bridge across the burn near the
tree. But how did the tree get its
name? Well, I’ll tell you.
Many years ago there was a
lad working at the lodge. He was a
conbhair. That means dog-handler.
Conbhair. There was no harm in the
lad. But he was a hunchback. And
the young female servants were
scared of him.
There was a young milking
maid working at the lodge. Her
name was Annabel. She was living
close to the lodge. Every night she
was going home over the bridge.
One night there was terrible
weather. The burn was in spate. The
bridge left [was washed away] with
the flood. The dog-boy knew what
[had] happened. He waited at the
burn to tell Annabel there was no
bridge there. He leaned against a
tree to get shelter.
When Annabel reached the
place, the dog-boy put his hand out.
He was wanting to stop Annabel.
She thought he was attacking her.
She ran away towards the bridge.
She fell into the burn. She was
drowned.
The next day the boy was dead
at the base of the tree. There was a
hand-print burned onto the tree.
After that, nobody was willing to go
near the tree.
And is it still there – The Làmh
Tree? Unfortunately not. It fell in a
storm many years ago. What a
shame [great is the pity].
Craobh an Tillidh
Bha mi ann an Cataibh o chionn
ghoirid. Bha mi ann am Bun Ilidh. ’S e
sin a’ Ghàidhlig air Helmsdale. Chuala
mi mu dheidhinn craobh anns an sgìre. ’S e an t-ainm a tha oirre, no a bha
oirre, The Làmh Tree. Bidh sibh eòlach
air an fhacal Ghàidhlig làmh. The
Làmh Tree – Craobh na Làimhe. Tha e
inntinneach gur e The Làmh Tree a
chanas daoine ann am Beurla, seach
The Hand Tree.
Bha a’ chraobh a’ fàs gu deas
air Bun Ilidh. Bha i ri taobh allt faisg
air Loids Ghartaidh. Bha drochaid
tarsainn an uillt faisg air a’ chraoibh.
Ach ciamar a fhuair a’ chraobh a h-ainm? Uill, innsidh mi dhuibh.
Iomadh bliadhna air ais bha
gille ag obair anns an loids. ’S e
conbhair a bha ann. Tha sin a’
ciallachadh dog-handler. Conbhair. Cha robh olc sam bith sa ghille. Ach
bha e crotach. Agus bha eagal air na
bana-shearbhantan òga roimhe.
Bha banarach òg ag obair ann. ’S
e Annabel an t-ainm a bha oirre. Bha i
a’ fuireach faisg air an loids. Gach
oidhche bha i a’ dol dhachaigh tarsainn
na drochaid.
Oidhche a bha seo bha droch
shìde ann. Bha tuil anns an allt. Dh’fhalbh an drochaid leis an tuil. Bha
fios aig a’ chonbhair air na thachair.
Dh’fhuirich e aig an allt airson innse
do dh’Annabel nach robh an drochaid
ann. Chaidh e an taic craobh airson
fasgadh fhaighinn.
Nuair a ràinig Annabel an t-àite,
chuir an conbhair a làmh a-mach. Bha
e ag iarraidh stad a chur air Annabel. Bha ise a’ smaoineachadh gun robh an
gille a’ toirt ionnsaigh oirre. Ruith i air
falbh a dh’ionnsaigh na drochaid.
Thuit i don allt. Chaidh a bàthadh.
Air an làrna-mhàireach bha an
gille marbh aig bonn na craoibhe. Bha
lorg làimhe loisgte air a’ chraoibh. Às
dèidh sin, cha robh duine deònach a
dhol faisg air a’ chraoibh.
Agus a bheil i fhathast ann –
Craobh na Làimhe? Gu mì-fhortanach,
chan eil. Thuit i ann an stoirm mòran
bhliadhnaichean air ais. Is mòr am
beud.
